Palestinians voice support for Iraq

RAMALLAH, West Bank (JPS) — Palestinian officials declared this week that while they hope the Iraqi conflict would be resolved and violence prevented, they supported the struggle and suffering of the Iraqi people.

Azzam Ahmed, the Palestinian Authority minister of public works, was sent by Arafat to Iraq to deliver a message of support to President Saddam Hussein. He told the Voice of Palestine Radio that "President Arafat felt it was necessary to reiterate the Palestinian concern for the safety of the Iraqi people and to assure the Iraqi leadership that we would like to see a peaceful solution."

Palestinian Legislative Council head Ahmed Qurie said, "We are against starving the people of Iraq or using force against them. At the same time we demand that Iraq abide by international law and prevent attacks being carried out on the Iraqi people."